Things were different on the Green Bay Packers’ practice field Tuesday.

For the first time in 15 years, Donald Driver wasn’t there. And for the first time since 2005, Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson were nowhere to be found, either.

Change was in the air at Clarke Hinkle Field as the Packers conducted their first open organized team activities practice of the year.

Since the last time the team gathered more than four months ago, Driver retired, Jennings departed for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency and Woodson was released.

That’s 36 years of combined NFL experience the Packers will be lacking this season.

“The one thing in football or life, the one constant is change,” said Tom Clements, who sounded more like a philosopher than the Packers’ offensive coordinator.

“For one reason or another guys move on or retire and that’s just the nature of the beast and you have to try and plug in different guys and move forward.”

Pardon Clements for not sounding sentimental, but that’s the cold, stark reality of NFL life. Players come and go. Even the great ones eventually bid adieu.

And it’s up to the coaching staff and teammates left behind to pick up the pieces and move forward.

“It is different,” said receiver Jeremy Ross of not seeing Driver and Jennings in their familiar spots in the locker room. “Those are some great guys. Even in our meeting rooms, we had a lot of fun hanging out with those guys and they brought a lot of good character to the room. Not having those guys there is a little different. I was kind of bummed, but we’ve got a good group of guys here now.”

“They’ve proven themselves,” Clements said. “They’ve played well, last year and in previous years.”

Jones won’t be shedding tears over the loss of Jennings and Driver as teammates, simply because he stays in close touch with them.

“I talk to those guys all the time, so there won’t be a moment where it’s like, ‘Oh, I miss those guys and all that stuff,’ ” Jones said. “I talk to those guys every day, so we’re cool.”

In fact, Jones won’t have a soft spot in his heart for Jennings, the football player, who signed with the bitter NFC North rival Vikings and will face the Packers twice a year.

“I don’t care too much about Greg, I just want our DBs to lock him on down and let’s get the victory,” Jones said.

The flip side to losing three prominent veterans is it creates opportunities for younger players.

Woodson’s departure on defense, for example, means someone else will get his reps.

“It’s different because he’s not there, but you still have to be held accountable to do your job,” said safety Morgan Burnett. “You can’t depend on another guy to be there at all times to help. We pretty much are prepared and ready to be accountable and understand what we have to do to help the defense.”

On an offense minus Jennings and Driver, some players must assume a greater leadership role. Jones for one is prepared for the challenge.

“Everybody here has to be a leader at some point or you wouldn’t be in this locker room,” Jones said. “Everybody here has some leadership skills, and I know we have a lot of it in the receiving room. Everybody speaks up when they have to. Everybody goes out there and works hard.”

Driver, Jennings and Woodson are gone, if not forgotten, and the Packers appear ready to carry on without them.